Ruan Xing lowered his head and glanced at his wristband. The message Fu Zhi had sent that afternoon was still there.

[I am off work. I bought some fish to cook for you today.]

A long time passed, and Ruan Xing still didn't reply.

[Ruan Xing, where are you?]

Another ten minutes passed.

[I'll search for you.]

After that, there was no more message.

When Ruan Xing got home, he turned on the light and noticed that one of the slippers was overturned. Fu Zhi must have left in a hurry.

Ruan Xing sent a message: [I'm back. Where are you?]

He immediately received a reply: [I'm coming back right now.]

Ruan Xing quietly sat on the couch while Fu Gui turned on the TV and let out a loud cackling laugh.

After a short wait, the door clicked open.

Fu Zhi saw Ruan Xing and finally relaxed his shoulders. He asked, "Where did you go today?"

Ruan Xing pointed to the kitchen. "I went out to buy groceries. I planned to learn cooking from an auntie, but her skills were terrible, and she even stole some of my ingredients. I wasted time arguing with her, and on the way back, I got dragged into a salon to sign up for a membership. That hairdresser kept pestering me, and I had to turn him down several times before I could finally leave."

Fu Gui stared at Ruan Xing with a completely dazed expression. That actually made sense?

Fu Zhi changed into his slippers. "Next time, just come straight to me. If you want to learn how to cook, I'll teach you."

He casually reached out and brushed Ruan Xing's hair behind his ear. "Also, long hair suits you. No need to cut it."

It tickled a little, and Ruan Xing subconsciously wanted to nuzzle into his palm, which he actually did.

Like a clingy cat rubbing its face in the palm of your hand.

Fu Zhi's Adam's apple moved. "Let's eat first."

After dinner, Ruan Xing assisted in the cleanup and casually asked, "Did you pick up the pendant in Mist City?"

Fu Zhi kept moving. "Maybe. I don't remember."

Ruan Xing froze for a second while washing dishes. "You forgot?"

Fu Zhi replied, "My injuries were too serious that time. After being rescued, I forgot everything that happened in Mist City."

When he woke up, the pendant was already hanging around his neck. Maybe he'd picked it up there.

No wonder he had always dodged the question. It turned out that he wasn't sure about it either.

Seeing Ruan Xing's curiosity, Fu Zhi briefly explained what he could remember.

He had been seriously injured back then, nearly losing his life. It was a knight who saved him.

When Fu Zhi regained consciousness, he was already at the Tower, and the pendant was around his neck. When he asked others about Mist City, they told him that he had already completely cleared the polluted zone. That place was just an empty city now.

"An empty city?" Ruan Xing was surprised.

"Yeah, just an ordinary city. I went there later. It has traces of pollutant activity, but all within safe levels. It's currently just a regular ruined city."

Everyone believed that Fu Zhi personally cleared the zone, but no one knew exactly what happened.

But the person who handled the polluted zone couldn't even remember the details. That's strange.

Fu Zhi asked, "Why're you suddenly asking about this?"

Ruan Xing finished putting away the dishes and quietly looked at him. "I'm leaving."

Fu Zhi paused, his voice stiff without realizing. "Leaving?Where?"

Ruan Xing said, "Mist City."

—

"Brother Xing?" Ming Rui called him.

Ruan Xing's thoughts drifted back. "Sorry, I just spaced out."

Ming Rui said, "Li Yuan was calling you."

Li Yuan was the one who joined the talent show with them back at the entertainment company. He used to wear a collar around his neck, and his brother had been killed while investigating Meili Entertainment.

Now, he was waiting for the right time to take revenge on the traffickers who sold him to Meili Entertainment. Moreover, Ruan Xing heard the ringleader's name before. When he first arrived in this world, he was almost sold to that very person.

The traffickers usually operated in the outer city and preferred to strike first. However, running into them was a matter of luck, so Ruan Xing's group had to actively search for them, while Li Yuan provided some leads.

[Scar-tail's people should be operating nearby. This clothing shop is one of their spots. I've been watching it for months. A few people went in to talk to the owner and then disappeared after entering the fitting room. No one ever came to look for them afterward. They seem to target people who live alone.] Li Yuan's voice came through the earpiece.

[The shop owner is more aggressive with women, but women usually shop in pairs, so it is hard for her to act. That boss has complained about it more than once.]

Ming Rui touched the long wig he was wearing. Ruan Xing had done something to secure it so tightly that it wouldn't fall off, and he even altered Ming Rui's facial features. Now the boy looked like a pretty teenage girl.

Then he glanced at Ruan Xing. The other didn't even need a wig. Just a unisex outfit, a slight adjustment in posture, and softer facial features. With that, he already looked androgynous. Furthermore, the bright eyes that peeked through made Ming Rui's heart skip a beat.

"Got it."

They turned a corner and arrived at the clothing shop. The store sold both men's and women's clothes, which were affordable, so many locals enjoyed trying them on here.

Seeing two unfamiliar "girls," the shop owner smiled brightly.

The sisters looked young. The younger one wore a loose T-shirt and wide-leg pants. The older one had her hair tied in a high ponytail, tall and slender, wearing a mask with slightly upturned eyes.

The shop owner's eyes lit up. It had been a while since she had seen customers of this quality. Her attitude immediately became more enthusiastic.

"Here to try on clothes?"

The tall older sister just gave a light "mm." The younger sister looked shy and nervous, as if she wasn't used to shopping in women's stores.

One look and the shop owner knew the younger one was the main customer. The older sister probably brought her here to shop.

The younger sister was tall too. The shop owner looked her up and down, becoming increasingly satisfied the longer she looked. "Let me get you some dresses. With a figure like yours, you should be wearing skirts!"

Ming Rui's face stiffened. He looked at Ruan Xing, who seemed to be smiling as he said, "Go ahead."

The shop owner already picked out several dresses, both long and short. "Here, try these on."

Ming Rui took the clothes into the fitting room stiffly, like his limbs were not his own.

The shop owner leaned in toward the older sister. "I don't usually see the two of you around here."

The long-haired beauty answered flatly, "Mm, just finished a family funeral. We were passing by and decided to shop a bit to clear our heads."

Tiny Fu Gui let out a snort-laugh from the pocket. [You two really don't look like you just attended a funeral.]

Ruan Xing reached into his pocket and pinched him.

The shop owner seemed to hear something but paid it no mind. Now that she was up close, she noticed that this sister was incredibly tall. She rarely sees a girl of this height.

But that didn't matter. As long as she was female, her KPI would be fine.

"Only two of you are left in the family?"

The older sister nodded.

"How pitiful," the shop owner said with a sad expression, but her heart was practically singing. She kept chatting, growing more energized by the minute.

She caught a big fish today!

These sisters were perfect! Not locals, no burdens, simple social ties, and no relatives or friends. The ideal targets!

The owner became even friendlier. "You should pick out a few dresses, too. I'll gift them to you. Your whole bill is free today."

Before Ruan Xing could refuse, she grabbed a few skirts from the rack and shoved them into his hands.

He looked down at the clothes with twitching lips. But he still walked into the fitting room.

Fu Gui: [No way, no way! You're really gonna wear female clothes, boss?]

Ruan Xing pulled Fu Gui from his pocket, avoided the slightly reflective pinhole camera in the corner, and poked his belly.

Fu Gui: [Dad! I was wrong!]

Outside, the boss flipped the "Open" sign, locked the door, and stared at the monitor. Watching Ruan Xing still not getting changed, she muttered, "From this angle, that chest is really flat... but it should be fine, right?"

In the other fitting room, the "younger sister" had already passed out.

The shop owner pressed a button, and a transparent gas slowly filled the tiny space. In just a few seconds, the older sister passed out too.

The wrinkles on the shop owner's face twisted into a grin. Jackpot! She suppressed her excitement and made a call. "Boss, I caught two fish today! Real flower sisters!"

Ruan Xing leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Soon, he felt someone dragging him out of the fitting room.

"Damn, this one's heavy! How can this lass be as heavy as a man?!"

"Shut up. A catch is a catch!"

They removed Ruan Xing's mask, bracelet, and earpiece, then loaded him into a van. After that, the vehicle began to move.

The ride was bumpy, and the rhythmic swaying made the passengers drowsy.

Ruan Xing shifted to a more comfortable position, and his thoughts drifted far away.

Yesterday, at Fu Zhi's house...

When Fu Zhi heard that Ruan Xing was leaving, he became anxious.

"I'll go with you."

Ruan Xing looked at him and shook his head. "No. You can't blend in."

Fu Zhi asked, "Blend in?"

Ruan Xing said, "Yeah, because you stand out too much. Too many people know you. There's no way you can sneak in."

In fact, he could use some magic to change Fu Zhi's appearance temporarily, but deep down, Ruan Xing didn't want him to go. Just like how Fu Zhi didn't want him to be in danger, he actually felt the same.

Since coming back from the polluted zone, Fu Gui had been unusually quiet. When he saw that Ruan Xing was packing, he hesitated. [You're really going to Mist City?]

Ruan Xing: [I have to.]

Fu Gui: [Mist City might be more complicated than you think.]

Ruan Xing glanced at him. [Do you have anything to add?]

Fu Gui shook his head. [I wish I do, but I don't know the full picture. I only know a bit. That place is really complicated.]

[Does it have something to do with the Tower?]

Fu Gui nodded.

The knight looking for Ming Rui had already made Ruan Xing realize that there might be a connection between the Tower and the Holy City. Now, Fu Gui's affirmation confirmed it.

But no matter what the truth was, Ruan Xing still had to go.

Right before leaving, he prepared his gear.

Fu Zhi helped him pack. It was obvious that he wasn't in a good mood.

The man's cautious question, whether he would come back, made him look like a puppy waiting for its owner to return, and it softened Ruan Xing's heart.

He took the things Fu Zhi handed him. Looking at that face, barely ten centimeters from his own, Ruan Xing couldn't help himself. He stood on tiptoe and gently kissed Fu Zhi on the cheek. "I'll be back soon."

Soft and light, like a feather gliding across the water, stirred a sense of urgency in Fu Zhi, quickening his breath as anticipation built within him.

His eyes instantly changed. He grabbed Ruan Xing's wrist and pulled him into a hug with one hand wrapping around his waist. The young man's slightly cooler body temperature seemed to light a fire in him (FZ).

He stared at Ruan Xing's flushed lips, and finally, he couldn't resist. He turned his head, bent down, and kissed the person in his embrace. The moment their lips touched, it felt as though part of his soul was filled, causing him to let out a satisfied sigh.

Unlike Ruan Xing's gentle peck, Fu Zhi's was a bit fierce. Their lips and teeth tangled, as if trying to confirm something in this way.

Ruan Xing opened his eyes slightly. Fu Zhi's sharp features were so close that he could see every pore on his face. The man's restrained yet intense aura passed through his lips and tongue, making a sound that would make anyone blush.

Somehow, Ruan Xing's backpack ended up on the ground. All his senses disappeared, except for the damp heat of their kiss and the tingling sensation on his tongue, which was amplified infinitely.

It started wild, then turned passionate, and finally softened like spring rain, gentle and pleasing.

When Fu Zhi finally let go, Ruan Xing's lips were red and his eyes sparkled like polished jade. His emerald green eyes looked freshly washed.

Only then did Fu Zhi realize what he had done. He became nervous, but when he looked at Ruan Xing and saw no trace of rejection in his eyes, something inside him was filled with joy.

Ruan Xing glared at him, but it had no bite. Instead, it looked like a hook that could reel someone's soul away. "I'm leaving."

Fu Zhi's voice was hoarse. He brushed Ruan Xing's hair near his ear and kissed his forehead. "I'll wait for you."

—

A breeze blew in through the window, brushing the young man's hair and landing softly on his lips.

Ruan Xing pressed his lips together. There was still a trace of lingering heat and wetness, burning down his neck and making his ears burn.

Then, the bumpy vehicle slowly came to a stop.

"We're here."